Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: singer-songwriter
Song Meaning of “Ancient Rain” by Mary Coughlan
The song Ancient Rain by Mary Coughlan is a heart-wrenching ballad about the pain of years of disappointment and heartbreak. It speaks to the passing of time and the ever-present sadness of life while acknowledging that all these emotions are part of the long and winding journey of life.
The lyrics seem to revolve around the once naive and hopeful outlook of the narrator whose innocence and expectations of a better tomorrow have been slowly worn away by the inevitable sadness of life. The song alludes to the narrator feeling years of exhaustion and emotional withdraw from the world due to years of failed attempts at creating a fulfilling future, “So much pain, so much rain since I came around”.
The chorus recognizes the inevitability of living in the present with a melancholic outlook instead of a dream like state of contentment, “And I know, that in this ancient rain, I will remain”. The narrator is stuck in an endless cycle of melancholia without any end in sight.
Ultimately, this song speaks to the beauty of life even in the rain of sorrows and pain: that it is completely legitimate to feel these emotions without the pressure of dealing with them in a certain way. It can be a reminder that even after long years of sorrow and emotion, we can still find joy and acceptance in the present moment if we take the time to do it.